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37 years after his father, Dr James Dunlop, was Moderator, Dr Alastair Dunlop will follow in the footsteps of his father when he becomes Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in succession to Dr Trevor Morrow at the opening meeting of the General Assembly next Monday, 4 June at 7.00pm in Church House Belfast.
Nominated by 19 out of the 21 Presbyteries who vote for the Moderator, Alastair Dunlop (55), is the minister of Knock Presbyterian Church in Belfast and is the first minister of that congregation to become Moderator. (A retired missionary, Rev William Beatty, who was a member of the Knock congregation, was moderator in 1898.)
Taking as his theme for the year 'People Matter to God,' Dr Dunlop considers this to encapsulate the heart of the Gospel. 'It also encapsulates what the Gospel does in us when it becomes real to us,' continues Dunlop. 'As Bill Hybels puts it, "we never lock eyes with someone who doesn't matter to God." It says something fundamentally important about relationships, especially in the context of disagreement or differences. If people matter to God, they should matter to us.
'It's also an adaptable theme. Any adjective may be put in front of people and the phrase will still be true. Old, young, sick, lost, nationalist, unionist, republican, loyalistŠ the list is endless. What an amazing God! He calls us to see people as he sees them, and to reach out to them as he reaches out to them.
'We are called to have confidence in God and in his word, to trust him, follow him and serve him. This is an enormous challenge in today's society where there is no real interest in what God has to say , or even in whether or not there is a God, yet where people are also looking for answers to big questions.
'Today's generation looks for authenticity, reality and satisfying relationships. That's why the pubs are full! The challenge is to become both congregations of unshakable trust in God and his word, and communities that model the good news of grace and love.
'Churches need to be welcoming and inclusive,' thinks Dr Dunlop whose Knock congregation have just completed a major refurbishment and renovation programme that recently saw the reopening of an extended multi-purpose centre at a cost of £200,000. 'You can't do effective work without the right resources in terms of facilities and people and we are investing in both to create the best possible circumstances to present our Christian witness effectively.'
A recent appointment is an associate minister and the congregation now plans to have a full-time youth worker. Teams have recently formed within the church to develop particular areas like worship, young peoples programmes and better communication with the surrounding community.
'We're trying new things here alongside our more traditional approach and it seems to be working in terms of us providing a church which gives the spiritual support that people are wanting and looking for at the start of the 21st century.'
Born on 8 December 1945 and brought up in the Oldpark area of Belfast, Hugh Alastair Dunlop was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Queen's University graduating in 1967 with a BA degree. Having decided to follow his father into the Presbyterian ministry he continued his studies at the Presbyterian College in Belfast adding a BD degree to his qualifications.
His ministry began with periods of assistantship in two Belfast congregations, Malone and Fitzroy, before he received a call to become minister of First Portglenone in 1973 where he stayed for ten years.
In 1983 he returned to the city of his birth as minister of Knock Presbyterian Church where he ministers today.
A former convener of the Presbyterian Church's Inter Church Relations Board Dr Dunlop has travelled widely in his role as Chairman of Interserve Ireland, an inter-denominational body that supports Christian missionaries in many countries.
Describing himself as an avid rugby supporter of both Ulster and Ireland and a keen skier Dr Dunlop is married to Anne with a family of four, Dorothy, David, Heather and Alastair.
For further information visit the General Assembly section
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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